Following their discovery of potential loopholes allowing increased construction of private residences on environmentally delicate lands under current regulations, two Hong Kong non-governmental organizations have urged officials to establish a definitive guideline for sustainable tourism growth.
"The overarching pattern indicates that the government is focusing on attracting investments and meeting developers' requests, leading to eco-tourism areas moving further away from their original aim of conservation," stated Greenpeace Hong Kong along with the policy research organization Liber Research Community in a combined statement. report published Monday.
Approximately 22.4 hectares of environmentally significant land designated for eco-tourism in South Lantau and three regions within the Northern Metropolis—Tsim Bei Tsui, Pak Nai, and Lau Fau Shan—are reported to be damaged, according to the document.
The document documented a total of 37 instances of land degradation in the regions of South Lantau and Northern Metropolis. These incidents encompassed various activities such as landfilling, unauthorized campgrounds, and brownfield operations, with several cases being related to land use approved by the government.
The researchers discovered that the designated zones in Tsim Bei Tsui encompassed approximately 31 hectares, which is around 9.5 hectares larger than what was reported in official records. This inconsistency led non-governmental organizations to speculate that it might offer room for potential private housing projects.
The report stated, "Given the significant financial deficits confronting the Hong Kong government, depending on funding from developers might encourage the government to offer incentives to these companies, which could enhance their negotiating position. This situation has the potential to readily undermine the initial objective of promoting ecotourism."
In April, the Development Bureau reached out to developers for collaboration. propose ideas for three ecotourism destinations A previously quarried site on Lamma Island located in Tsim Bei Tsui and Pak Nai within the Northern Metropolis, as well as four regions along the coastline of South Lantau.
Greenpeace along with Liber urged the government to establish a thorough policy framework for ecotourism initiatives and to guarantee that conservation efforts would not be converted into real estate ventures.
Brian Wong from Liber stated, "Given Hong Kong’s financial shortfall, if the government depends on developers for investments in ecotourism regions, it might succumb to their requests, leading to deviations in ecotourism plans."
Greenpeace and Liber urged the government to set three core principles: ecological conservation and low-impact development as top priorities, tourism experiences centred on in-depth environmental education, and revenue-sharing mechanisms that benefit local communities and conservation efforts, ensuring sustainability for both the environment and the community.
"The report stated that a comprehensive grasp of biodiversity, habitat quality, and the environment’s ability to support tourist activities is essential. This should be accompanied by sincere discussions with both local communities and environmental specialists before initiating eco-tourism plans," it said.
The NGOs proposed that the authorities create an interdisciplinary ecotourism committee to develop a policy framework and avoid "first destruction, then development" strategies.
Greenpeace and Liber suggested that the government ought to establish stringent development restrictions to protect the environment and set up specific eco-tourism funds. This would guarantee that tourism income contributes to both community growth and preservation efforts.
The collaborative report cited the Mandai Wildlife Reserve in Singapore, the Akamas Peninsula in Cyprus, and Guanacaste Province in Costa Rica as instances of ecotourism initiatives that did not maintain their initial objectives.
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